Set of four cherubs; Spanish School, 18th century

Set of four cherubs; Spanish School, 18th century
Carved, gilded, and polychromed wood
Shows signs of restoration and loss of polychrome
Measurements: 15 x 19 x 8 cm.

Set of four winged cherub heads, designed as decorative appliqué elements, likely from an altarpiece. Each depicts the typical iconographic style of these ornaments: a childlike face with rosy cheeks and gentle eyes, from which a pair of wings emerge on either side. Two of them feature feathers rendered in grayish and bluish tones, while the other two display a warmer color scheme, in reddish tones.

This is a decorative motif that was extremely popular in Spanish Baroque religious sculpture, used extensively to fill the spaces with clouds on altarpieces, canopies, frames, and other liturgical furnishings.